Every four years, the world watches athletes perform for seconds. A 100-meter sprint lasts less than 10 seconds. A downhill ski race can be over in just a couple of minutes. A race, a run, a moment and it is over. What we do not see are the thousands of early mornings, injuries, and endless repetition. Olympians do not train randomly. They train in cycles. They build, they refine, and then they peak.

What if we treated our careers the same way?

Year one is not about gold medals. It is about building the base, learning fundamentals, and getting used to be uncomfortable. This isn’t flashy, but it is necessary. Year two is development. Development includes taking on more responsibility, internships, and harder classes. You begin to understand who you are and what you are capable of. Year three is refinement. Pressure may increase and expectations will rise but nothing you can’t handle.

Then comes the peak year. Whether it comes in the form of an interview, pitch, career fair, or graduation, this is the opportunity you have been working towards. Just like the Olympics, your moment might only last minutes, but it represents years of hard work.

Olympians do not panic when they are not on the podium in year one. They trust the process. Maybe you are not behind. Maybe you are simply in your base building phase. If you approached your career like an Olympic cycle, you would stop chasing quick wins and start committing to long term growth. Excellence is not accidental but rather it is cyclical.

Train like your moment is coming. Because it is.